A novel artificial intelligence (AI) model accurately detected the presence of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), a dangerous pregnancy condition that often goes undetected with current screening methods, according to new research presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) 2026 Pregnancy Meeting™.  PAS is a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity, but only half of all cases are diagnosed during pregnancy, researchers say. 

Children of mothers exposed to higher than typical nighttime temperatures during weeks 1-10 of pregnancy had a 15% higher risk of being diagnosed with autism. Exposure during weeks 30-37 was associated with a 13% higher risk. The findings add to a growing body of research exploring how environmental factors — including air pollution and wildfire smoke — may influence fetal neurodevelopment, and as global temperatures rise, this study is the first to examine how temperature can impact that development.

Exercise does more than strengthen muscles; it also rewires the brain. In a study publishing February 12 in the Cell Press journal Neuron, researchers reveal that the lasting gain in endurance from repeated exercise—such as the ability to run farther and faster over time—involves changes in brain activity that help muscles and hearts to become stronger.  

About The Study: In this nationwide cohort of U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes, semaglutide initiators had a 2-fold nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) risk than sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor initiators, while the absolute risk was low. Clinicians and patients should be counseled on the rare but evident increased risk of NAION after semaglutide initiation. 

About The Study: The findings of this cohort study suggest that access to higher-level neonatal care is limited at rural birth hospitals, as less than 20% offered this care in 2022 vs 74% of urban hospitals. While rural hospitals are losing childbirth care capacity, urban birth hospitals are expanding higher-level neonatal care, accentuating geographic discrepancies in access to care for high-risk infants. 

The Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio received a $5 million gift from longtime supporters Bill and Rebecca Reed, and re-established an existing dementia precision therapy center in their name.

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) has released a new four-video series highlighting how The GSA KAER Toolkit for Brain Health supports primary care teams to improve timely detection of cognitive impairment, care, and outcomes for people with dementia.